Schumer Faces Criticism Over SAVE Act Remarks

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, representing New York, is receiving backlash for some unusual statements regarding the SAVE Act. Notably, he made a mistake by claiming the legislation could disenfranchise “tens of billions” of individuals.

The SAVE Act, which aims to mandate proof of U.S. citizenship for federal voter registration, has ignited significant discussions surrounding electoral integrity. Schumer’s statement, which rapidly circulated online, drew attention for numbers that seemingly defy reality.

“This allows ICE to remove tens of billions of people from society. Roll, unroll,” Schumer remarked, adding that citizens won’t be informed about this until Election Day.

The figure he cited is, of course, greater than the total global population. Schumer has consistently argued that the SAVE Act, also known as the SAVE America Act, would disenfranchise voters.

On February 6th, Schumer expressed that “The SAVE Act would disenfranchise more than 21 million Americans.” Just a few days later, on February 9, he reiterated on the Senate floor that “Millions of Americans will not have access to the paperwork required by SAVE and will be at risk of being locked out of our democracy.”

In a later comment, he claimed there would be “tens of millions of people purged” from voting lists due to the SAVE Act.

On Tuesday, spokesperson Caroline Leavitt dismissed another frequent assertion made by Democrats that the bill would disenfranchise married women. “There is absolutely no validity to these claims,” she stated, adding that the SAVE Act does not bar anyone from voting except for those who are in the country illegally.

She also countered the argument that minority voters would struggle to meet documentation requirements, remarking, “I think it’s frankly insulting that Democrats are saying there’s a group of people in this country who aren’t smart enough to update their documents to vote.”